DAYTON, Ohio— The Dayton community is still rebuilding from a deadly tornado that hit the area nearly one year ago. That tornado left businesses demolished and homes flattened. 

• The Dayton Donatos was destroyed in the Memorial Day tornado last year
• Three employees were inside the restaurant when the tornado hit and escaped unharmed
• The restaurant has now been completely rebuilt 

Just 11 months ago, the tornado ripped through part of Dayton taking down a Donatos restaurant with it. But now, a brand new one is opening up in its place.

Last Memorial Day that tornado destroyed the Donatos on Main Street in Dayton, with three employees inside.

“We had three people in the restaurant when the tornado hit," Todd Rodgers the franchise owner said. "It ripped what was the roof off of the kitchen. The walls caved in the kitchen, almost on top of them. And all three of them experienced that destruction, stayed in the restaurant until the tornado went past and then basically crawled out over the rubble.”

One of those employees is general manager Terry Barnett. She says although it was a traumatic situation, she was ready to go back to work at this location.

“It was a good feeling to be back home," Barnett said. "It was a good feeling to be back home. I missed this place. I was kind of on the edge on how I was going to feel coming in, but it’s nice and new and better.”

The Donatos has been a staple on Main Street for 25 years. Terry says it means everything to the area to be back open.

“It means a lot to them," Barnett said. "We have very loyal customers and I think they like the family feel they get. That it’s not just pizza, it’s a little love with every slice.”

And although it’s not ideal timing to open a restaurant right now, management felt it was important to get back in the community

“To open a restaurant during the COVID pandemic is kind of crazy, but it was time for us to get reopened for the community," Rodger said.

And Barnett says after all Dayton has been through in the last year, it was crucial for them to get back to serving their customers.

“This is like kind of back to normal," she said. "Because our customers are going out of their way to make up for missing this place. So things are getting back to normal.”

Rodgers says he’s been overwhelmed with the support in their opening day.